Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 2761’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpri 2761’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with pink-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRI 2761’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonpri 2761’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpriho’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,296. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in January, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since January, 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpri 2761’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpri 2761’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Medium green-colored leaves.     -   5. Inflorescences with pink-colored flower bracts.     -   6. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the parent, ‘Bonpriho’, in flower bract color as plants of ‘Bonpriho’ have white-colored flower bracts. In addition, plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller inflorescences than plants of ‘Bonpriho’.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pukherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonprilipcom’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,327. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were larger than plants of         ‘Bonprilipcom’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia had longer and thicker lateral         branches with longer internodes than plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Bonprilipcom’.     -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia had smaller flower bracts than         plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’.     -   5. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Bonprilipcom’ differed         slightly in flower bract color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpri 2761’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpri 2761’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and herewith described in detail were grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex     Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 2761’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpriho’,     disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,296. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at 20° C.             to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About nine days at 20° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 24.9 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about seven lateral branches develop per             plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length:             About 23.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.6 mm. Internode length:             About 2.3 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 9 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic to             ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Shallowly             serrulate; slightly undulate. Venation pattern: Pinnate,             reticulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 144C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 144D. Petioles: Length: About             2.7 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliage.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One inflorescence develops per             lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 11.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and             development can also be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions; early flowering             habit, plants flower about 50 days under natural season             conditions in Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about seven weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 17. Length,             largest bracts: About 4.8 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             2 cm. Shape: Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire to shallowly serrulate; slightly             undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Aspect: Mostly horizontal. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Developing or transitional             bracts, upper surface: Close to 143C, NN155A and 62C.             Developing or transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to             143C and NN155C. Fully expanded bracts, immature, upper             surface: Close to 68B. Fully expanded bracts, immature,             lower surface: Close to N155C. Fully expanded bracts,             mature, upper surface: Close to 65B to 65C; venation, close             to 164B. Fully expanded bracts, mature, lower surface: Close             to N155B; venation, close to 144D. Flower bract petioles:             Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144D.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 16. Diameter of cyathia             cluster: About 3.1 cm. Height, individual cyathium: About             7.2 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 5.3 mm. Shape,             individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Close to 143B.             Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One. Size: About 1.9 mm by             3 mm. Color: Close to 6A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:             Numerous. Anther shape: Lanceolate or globose. Anther             length: About 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. Anther color: Close to 4D.             Amount of pollen: Scarce to none. Pollen color: Close to             155D. Pistils: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been             observed to develop pistils.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Euphorbia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 2761’ as illustrated and described. 